Picked the enameled dutch oven over the raw cast iron for my sourdough

I was making my weekly sourdough batch in Portland last Thursday and had to decide between my Lodge enameled dutch oven and the plain cast iron one. I went with the enameled because I read it holds heat more steady for the first 20 minutes. The crust came out way more even and crackly than usual. Anyone else find a difference between the two for bread baking?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_logan23d ago

Man, I gotta disagree hard here. That enamel is actually trapping steam against the dough and making the crust softer than what you get from bare cast iron where the moisture can escape. I've done side by side loaves with my raw Lodge and the crust always comes out thicker and crunchier without that coating getting in the way.

kair6523d ago

Pretty sure we're overthinking this one. The crust difference is way more about your oven temp and steam setup than what pot you're using. I've pulled great loaves out of both types and couldn't tell them apart in a blind taste test. Maybe try swapping your baking stone position or spritzing more water in the oven instead.